Here are some useful, age-appropriate “cheat sheets” to help parents and caregivers get the most out of their time with their children, boosting reading skills and enjoyment.

This Century Foundation publication explores early literacy practices that led to New Jersey's dramatic improvement in test scores and academic improvement among poor, minority students.

New from MDRC, this report presents findings on the effectiveness of two professional development strategies on improving the knowledge and practice of second-grade teachers in high-poverty schools and on the reading achievement of their students.

Youth Communication, the non-profit founded by Keith Hefner in New York City to give young people a voice on the things that matter to them, is now 25 years old—a notable milestone in the notoriously under-funded world of youth media. Lisa R. Rhodes, a former Youth Communication writer herself, looks at how Hefner's organization has grown and thrived, transforming young lives along the way.

As the ultimate companion animals, dogs have spent centuries perfecting their special skills—whether it's herding sheep, catching Frisbees, or making humans feel like the center of a kindly universe. That's the skill most on call in a program for boys in the child welfare system who need to be nudged into reading. Gayle Hargreaves reports.

The Institute of Library and Museum Services and the National Endowment for the Arts' new "Big Read" initiative will award grants generally ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 to more than 100 communities for programs that encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

The Alliance for Excellent Education hosts its 2006 Breakfast Forums on Promising Practices in Secondary Education in Washington, DC.

Every year on March 2, the birthday of children's author Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), the National Education Association celebrates Read Across America Day.

The 15th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy will be held in Lousiville, Kentucky March 19-21.